Prosper Spring

NEWS
Warning over skills gap as young people cut off
from being economic stakeholders
The UK skills gap will continue to broaden
unless the Government can put young
people at the centre of our economic
recovery.
The warning came from Chair of the
Purpose Business Coalition and crossbench
peer Lord John Walney at the first in a series
of roundtables hosted by Warwickshirebased
Pertemps, looking at how businesses
can better connect their opportunities with
talent, find and develop the right skills for
those roles, and increase engagement of
colleagues.
Attended by West Midlands education
establishments and business leaders, the
first session focused on the workforce of the
future, exploring how jobs are changing,
and how skills can level-up and transform
communities across the country.
At the end of the series, a report will be
published which summarises the findings
and actions moving forward, including
contributions from key employers during the
roundtable sessions.
Carmen Watson, Chair of Pertemps
Network Group (pictured), told
Prosper, “Lord Walney hit the
nail on the head at our event
when he said that young
people are cut off from being
economic stakeholders.
“Apprentices are essential
in helping us to address the
UK’s skills gap and to boost our
economy, but businesses need
more flexibility on how they spend the
levy to create even more opportunities for
employers to work collaboratively.”
Last year, in partnership with The Purpose
Coalition, headed by Former Education
Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening and Lord
Walney, Pertemps produced a Levelling Up
Impact Report highlighting the work by
Pertemps in helping jobseekers who may
have experienced barriers to employment,
including young people, ex-service
personnel, ex-offenders and those from
disadvantaged backgrounds.
Established in 2021 by former Education
Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening with
input from businesses, universities
and policymakers, they provide a
framework to help tackle the
challenges the country faces
following the pandemic. They
focus on key life stages – from
early years through to
adulthood, alongside other
barriers such as open
recruitment and fair career
progression – and identify the main
issues that need to be resolved to create a
level playing field for everyone.
During National Apprenticeship Week in
February, business leaders called for a
reform of apprenticeships in the UK after
reports of £600 million being sent back to
the HM Treasury last year, which could have
funded over 60,000 applications.
To find out more about the
Purpose Coalition, visit
https://www.purpose-coalition.org/
Mayor Andy
backs firm’s
growth plans
Willenhall-based ASSA ABLOY Opening
Solutions UK & Ireland hosted West
Midlands Mayor Andy Street for a
behind-the-scenes tour of its state-of-the-art
manufacturing facilities.
The manufacturing site, which employs
over 600 people, has seen significant
investment over the past decade, and
during his visit the Mayor was given a
behind-the-scenes tour which focused on its
operational excellence, including product
innovation, manufacturing capabilities and
investment in sustainability.
Speaking about his visit to the facilities in
Willenhall, Mayor Andy Street said: “ASSA
ABLOY is not content to rest on its laurels.
Rather, it is investing in innovative
manufacturing and charting a course for the
organisation that will no doubt stand it in
good stead in the months and years ahead.”
Mayor Andy Street chats to
some of the young workforce at
ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions
UK & Ireland, and right, checks
out one of its products
PROSPER SPRING 2023 15